Staff of the United Reformed Church managed to consume 50 bananas as part of a world record attempt in support of Fairtrade. They joined Fairtrade Foundation supporter groups all over the world in a 24-hour initiative. The picture shows United Reformed Church general secretary, the Revd Roberta Rominger (centre), and other staff members peeled and ready to go. 

Through its Commitment for Life programme, the URC has actively supported the Fairtrade movement. Linda Mead, Commitment for Life programme co-ordinator said: “The aim was to highlight the plight of banana growers. Most profit is now made at the top of the supply chain by increasingly powerful supermarkets, who squeeze farmers and plantation workers. Fairtrade challenges these injustices, strengthens the position of marginalised farmers and workers and enables them to earn enough today, to invest in a better tomorrow.”

The Fairtrade Foundation aims to double the number of fairly traded bananas bought in the UK by 2012. This would directly benefit producer communities and send a strong message to the government, retailers and companies about how trade should work.

The fairly traded bananas eaten at Church House were supplied free by Waitrose. For more details about Fairtrade see the Fairtrade Foundation website